The Hindu : Impressive field for <I>The Hindu</I> Open

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 10, 2003

Sport

Sport - Golf

Impressive field for The Hindu Open

Chennai Sept. 9 . One of the oldest professional golf tournaments in the country, The Hindu Open, tees off with an impressive field at the Cosmo-TNGF course on Wednesday.

Into its third decade, the Rs.7 lakh tournament will be played on a fast improving course which has been receiving rave reviews from the players in recent times.

If there are two things that reflect the time travelled from the early days of the tournament in the beginning of the 1980s and now, then these will have to be the size of the field (over 110 players) and the condition of the course.

From a few browns and passable fairways in those distant days, the Cosmo-TNGF course has come to occupy the status of one of the best-loved courses in South India.

Fresh from his victory in the Hyundai Open last week, Mukesh Kumar will he hoping to add another one this week while the dapper young Digvijay Singh would hate to let go of his grip on the trophy he won last year.

These two will be challenged by players such as Uttam Singh Mundy, Feroz Ali and Ashok Kumar, apart from veterans Basad Ali and Rohtas Singh.

"I personally like coming here. I won here last year. The fairways and greens are looking great,'' said Digvijay Singh at a press conference on Monday night.

Sampath Chari, executive director, PGAI, said that the course "has undergone vast improvements." He thanked The Hindu for its consistent support of golf in this city.

The winner will take home Rs. 1,13,400 and the runner up will be richer by Rs. 78,400.

The amateur field is headed by the in-form B. Gurunath who has already won two events in style this season.

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